It’s been about a year since we purchased a car with Google Built-in, and I have done my best to embrace the capabilities of Android Automotive OS (AAOS) and the apps available in Google Play. Note that my mobile phone is an iPhone, and I have used CarPlay for many years.
There are several features in AAOS that have impressed me very much. I am very impressed with the Google Maps integration and the ability to send trips from my phone before we leave for our destination. The layout of the dashboard incorporating the map and directions is efficient and effective (and beautiful). The ability to access other apps while still seeing the map on the dashboard is a great user experience. I also find it very helpful to adjust comfort settings using Gemini without ever having to reach away from the steering wheel.
As a software product professional, what has shocked me is how consistently horrible 3rd party apps are from a user experience perspective. Most music apps are borderline unusable which makes zero sense to me. Music is one of the main use cases for a great driving experience. You need to know the status of your car, you need to know where you’re going, and you need great tunes. It all seems pretty simple to me. Music services need to invest in their AAOS experiences significantly and thoroughly embrace the capabilities of the operating system. Drivers deserve a great music experience, and it really shouldn’t take much effort to make this happen. And for crying out loud, where is the Apple Music app?
Honestly, I don’t want to have to use CarPlay, but until the user experience of music apps on AAOS are exponentially better, I’ll be connecting my phone and using well-designed apps.
